Follow WITS!

Sign up to receive WITS news!

And I’m back! Spring Break came and went. As I’m wrapping up a fourth semester at the University of Houston, the Travis kiddos are gearing up for their STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness ) exams.

The comic book lesson went very well! MaryScott kicked off the lesson by discussing conflict and characters, before leading the kids into a free writing exercise. The kids were (to my delightful surprise) very excited about making comics of their own! On the second day of the lesson, MaryScott suggested the kids partner up with each other and have their characters meet. I was very impressed with where they took their stories. The kids came up with such creative ideas, such as ‘Lingio’, the tale of two best friends, a monkey and frog, who venture across the pond to retrieve fiery habanero peppers to make the perfect salsa for their house warming party. Brilliant.

This week is “Camp Write Along” at Travis elementary. It’s a week dedicated to writing and the great outdoors. The hallways are covered in papery, green and brown scenes of the wilderness and peering through were the predators – wolves, bears, and (the deadliest) squirrels. At the very end of the hall, MaryScott was sitting cross-legged on a blue sleeping bag tucked beneath a lime green tent. Behind her, a digital fire crackled, enhancing the atmosphere. In groups of five, the Travis students would join MaryScott and me around the “campfire” to read what they have been working on. Afterwards, the kids wrote poetry about the campfire and how it made them feel. I’ll never stop being impressed with what their minds can do in such little time.

Check back soon for another installment from me, your trusty WITS intern, soon!